The Story Of Us
by GinnyGinervaWeasley
Summary: Hermione and Draco are faced with some unexpected feelings in their seventh year. What will they do about them? How will things end up? Have they really changed? I own nothing Harry Potter.


**First off, I own nothing Harry Potter. Rated M for safety, there are only suggestions and mild language. I'm just letting you know now so you don't read on and expect more than there is.**

**This story was inspired by the song ****_The Story of Us_**** by Taylor Swift. I recently saw the music video and this story came to me.**

**Next, this story is mostly in flashback. Just the beginning and end are in the present.**

**I guess that's all I have to say. Now you can read the story and I hope you enjoy!**

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><p>Hermione, Harry, and Ron were walking down the corridors of Hogwarts Castle on their way to the library. Ron was complaining about the potions assignment that they had, "How am I ever going to write five feet on the Drought of Life?" he whined.<p>

"It's really not that complicated," Hermione shook her head. "I already have seven and there's more to go."

"Since you're like practically done already why don't you help me?" Ron pleaded hopefully.

"You need to do your own work Ronald," Hermione stated in her normal 'homework' related manner. She was turned, looking towards the others and wasn't paying attention to where she was going when she walked straight into something…or rather someone.

She took a few steps back trying to gain her balance and looking up saw the tell tale white blonde hair of the person she had just run into the back of. "Watch where you going Mudblood!" Draco spat. He was flanked by his two 'body guards' and wasn't afraid to speak up.

"Maybe you shouldn't be stopping in the middle of the hallway Malfoy!" Hermione shot back, before either Ron or Harry could pull out their wands and try to hex him.

"Oh, so you're going to try and blame this on me Granger? You were the one who ran into me. Not the other way around," Draco shot.

"Shove off Malfoy!" Hermione spat, pushing past him and heading into the library before anyone else could say anything.

Harry and Ron followed and they found a table in the middle of the library. "He is such an arse," Harry stated as they sat down.

"You've got that right," Ron piped up.

"It doesn't matter. It's over with. Let's not give Malfoy the satisfaction of getting to us," Hermione spoke. It had stung hearing Draco call her a Mudblood again. She truly thought that was over with, but then again there were a whole lot of other things that Hermione thought had changed between them too. It was obvious that she had been wrong about that.

"I can't see how you can stand to have to share the Head's dormitory with him," Harry shook his head.

"We mostly avoid each other. He's always out with the latest Slytherin tramp," Hermione said, not letting on how hurt she was by that fact. A month earlier she would have believed that sharing a dorm with Draco Malfoy, the Head Boy, was the best thing that had ever happened to her, but things had happened since then to prove otherwise.

"I can hex him for you if you'd like," Ron offered, placing his hand over hers.

"No, don't waste your time," Hermione whispered, sliding her hand away from Ron's. He obviously thought that the pain in Hermione's voice was because of what Draco had just said and in some ways that was true, but not in the way Ron thought.

Ron simply nodded and slowly the two boys slid off into their own world of doing homework and studying, but Hermione didn't. Her eyes scanned the expanse of the library; she could feel someone's eyes on her. She found the culprit at the far end of the library sitting there with his cronies in crime, the Slytherin's. Looking up her eyes met the cold grey eyes of none other than Draco Malfoy. She stared straight back at him and for a moment she thought she saw a flicker of pain pass over his sharp features, but in a blink of an eye it was gone. _Is he thinking what I'm thinking?_ Hermione found herself wondering.

Staring into Draco's steely grey eyes Hermione was overwhelmed by images of what had happened in the past months since they had returned for their seventh and final year at Hogwarts.

_It was the first day back to Hogwarts and Hermione had been called to the Headmistress's office for her duties as Head Girl. To no one's surprise she had been chosen for Head Girl and she was ecstatic. This meant that she got her own dormitory to share with the Head Boy, which would give her more time and privacy to focus on her schoolwork._

_Hermione found herself sitting alone in Headmistress McGonagall's office waiting for the Headmistress herself and for the Head Boy. Hermione had expected Harry to be Head Boy, but he wasn't. She had no clue who was and she waited with bated breath to find out._

_She looked around the room taking in its new appearance. Several things had changed since Dumbledore resided here, including the new picture of him hanging on the wall with his sparkling blue eyes and long gray hair. Hermione was about to get up and go talk to Dumbledore's portrait when the door swung open and in came McGonagall followed by the new Head Boy._

_Hermione's jaw dropped to the floor when she saw Draco Malfoy in all of his Slytherin glory come traipsing in. _Draco Malfoy? He couldn't be the Head Boy…could he?_ "What the bloody hell are you doing here Malfoy?" Hermione asked, before she could stop herself._

_"Language, Miss Granger," McGonagall warned, trying hard to keep the smile from forming on her lips._

_Draco simply smirked and took the seat next to Hermione. Headmistress McGonagall took a seat at her desk and began. "First off I'd like to congratulate both of you on being the Head's of Hogwarts this year," she smiled._

_"Wait…_HE_ is Head Boy? There must be some mistake," Hermione protested._ Something had to be wrong. There was no way Malfoy could be Head Boy.

_"Yes, he is Miss Granger," McGonagall confirmed._

_"How?" Hermione asked before she could stop herself._

_"Why is it so hard to believe?" Draco finally spoke up._

_"Because you're _Draco Malfoy_," Hermione stated, hoping that would be enough._

_"You both are the top of your class," McGonagall informed._

Draco was second in the class? How could that be? I mean yeah he was always doing well in classes, but how could _he_ be Head Boy?_ Hermione just couldn't grasp the fact that Draco was actually Head Boy._

_"Now that that is settled, let's go over what is expected of the two of you as Head Boy and Girl," McGonagall began. She went on to tell them of their duties and that they would be having their own dormitory. Hermione was trying to pay attention, but her mind kept wondering. _How am I going to share a dormitory with Malfoy? This can't be happening.

_"Well, now you can go settle into you new dormitory and then meet me at dinner," McGonagall dismissed them._

_They gathered their things and silently walked to their dormitory. Neither of them had anything to say to each other at this point._

_When they reached the portrait an old man who slightly resembled Dumbledore, Hermione said the password and the portrait door swung open. They both walked in and were shocked by what they saw._

_The Head's dorms were spectacular. The main room held several couches, a fireplace, bookshelves stacked with books, and two desks in opposite corners, one for each of them. There were two floor to ceiling length windows along the back wall and the curtains were gold and red and silver and green, their house colors. To the right, there was a set of steps that led up to a balcony with two doors off of it. Hermione floated over to the steps and went up to see what else was in store as Draco followed._

_She opened the first door and saw a room decked with silver and green decorations; this was obviously Draco's room. She moved to the next door and saw her room, decked in gold and red. Inside there was a four-poster bed, a chest and wardrobe for clothes, and another desk and bookshelves._

_There was a door that led off of her room, which she assumed was the bathroom, but went to make sure. She opened the door and saw the enormous bathroom. In the center was a bathtub the size of a pool with many knobs and buttons that dispensed different luxuries. To the left there was a huge shower and to the right there was the toilet and sink. The bathroom was even better than the prefect's bathrooms. _This can't get any better;_ Hermione smiled to herself, but then the door that was across from hers opened and in came Draco._

_"What are you doing in my bathroom?" Hermione asked._

_"I could ask you the same," Draco smirked._

_"What?" Hermione was confused._

_"Obviously we are sharing a bathroom," Draco pointed out the obvious._

_"That can't be right," Hermione said, reality starting to sink in. She was really going to have to share a bathroom with Malfoy._

_"It is Granger. Just accept that you have to share it with me. Not that it's really a bad thing," Draco smirked, hinting at his Slytherin 'Sex-god' status._

_"You've got to be kidding yourself Malfoy. You're so full of yourself," she shot back._

_"You're not fooling anyone Granger," Draco smirked and walked out of the room._

_"What is that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked furiously as she followed him, but she couldn't stop her eyes from running over his retreating frame._

_"You know exactly what I mean Granger," Draco smirked again. "Now if you wouldn't mind I'm going to get ready for dinner," he said, shredding his robes and going to his trunk to find what he was looking for._

_Hermione didn't move from her spot. _What did he mean? Does he really think I'd ever be even slightly interested in him? Was I?_ Hermione's mind raced, but she didn't tear her eyes away when Draco started to unbutton his shirt and pull it off._

_"Are you going to stay and watch? Or what?" Draco asked, looking up and seeing Hermione in the same position._

_"Why would I want to?" Hermione spat, finally tearing her eyes from Draco's pale chiseled chest._

_"That is pretty obvious," Draco simply said and started to undo his belt._

_"Don't kid yourself Malfoy," Hermione spat as she tore from the room._

_Hermione sped back to her room and tried to clear her mind. _Does Draco really think I liked him? How could he ever think that?...Why couldn't I get myself to leave though? Oh, and that body…Quidditch had done him well…WAIT! I didn't really just think that did I? What is happening to me?_ Hermione threw herself into organizing her room to keep her mind off of Draco._

_Hermione had finally gotten Draco out of her mind by the time she entered the Great Hall for the Welcome Back Feast, but it wouldn't stay that way for long._

_She walked over to the Gryffindor table where she saw Harry and Ron waiting for her with questioning looks on their faces. She walked over and asked, "How have you two been?"_

_"Great. So who's the Head Boy?" Ron asked immediately. It was pretty obvious that he was jealous because Hermione would be dorming with another boy. If it was Harry he would have been okay with it, but since it wasn't he wanted to know who he'd have to hex._

_"Malfoy," Hermione spat the last name venomously._

_"What?" Harry and Ron burst at the same time both shocked._

_"Malfoy is the Head Boy," Hermione repeated._

_"Why in the bloody hell is he Head Boy? He's on the Dark Side," Ron protested._

_"I have no clue, but I have to go. We can talk about this later," Hermione said saying good-bye and heading up to the staff table where McGonagall was waving her over. Hermione knew that Harry and Ron would be even more upset about Malfoy being Head Boy than she was. They both hated his guts and Hermione used to too, but something inside her was starting to show that she didn't. A part of her was slightly happy that Malfoy was Head Boy because that would mean more contact with him and more alone time. _Things could change, couldn't they?

_The next few weeks went by without much interaction between Hermione and Draco. They were both involved with their schoolwork and 'extracurricular activities' in Draco's case. When they were around each other they just pretended like the other one didn't exist and things were pretty peaceful._

_Hermione knew that eventually they would need to talk or come to some understanding because as Head Boy and Girl they would have to team up to plan different things throughout the year. Normally she would just go up and confront him about everything, but she was afraid of what would happen. Over the last few weeks she had started to realize things about Draco that she never thought she would. Like the way he bit his lip when he was thinking hard about an assignment. Or the way he seemed to glow after a long grueling Quidditch practice. Or the way his steel grey eyes lit up when he was staring off into the flames of the fireplace._

_She was starting to notice these little things and she found herself grow weak when she was around him. It felt like she was turning into jelly or melting when his hand accidentally brushed hers and their eyes connected. Hermione was so confused about everything that was happening within her. Normally she had everything figured out and under control, but when it came to Draco she was completely helpless._

_Hermione was heading back to the Head's dormitory from the library and trying to get control over her feelings. Today she needed to confront Draco about their responsibilities and make sure they were on the same page. Hopefully she wouldn't let anything slip about what he was doing to her._

_She said the password and entered the dormitory to find Draco sitting on one of the couches, pouring over his Transfiguration assignment. He looked up when she came in and gave her a curt nod before turning back to his homework._

This is it. Just get it out of the way_, Hermione thought. She went and placed her bag on her desk and walked over and took a seat in the chair that was across from where Draco was sitting. He didn't look up when she sat down he just stayed immersed in the work. "Umm…Draco? Can we talk for a minute?" she asked._

_"I'm kind of busy," he replied without looking up, but for once there was no sneer or smirk in his voice not even annoyance._

_"It will only take a minute," Hermione said in a small voice. _Since when did Draco get to me? What was wrong with me?

_"Fine, what do you want?" Draco asked, finally looking away from his work._

_"I just wanted to go over the prefect's schedules that I drew up and see if the night's that I have you patrolling will work out," Hermione informed, grabbing the schedule she had made from her robes and handing it to Draco._

_He looked at it and said, "That's fine," before turning back to work again._

_"Okay great," Hermione took back the schedule and started to head to her room. She had been hoping that they could talk some more, but Draco was obviously busy._

_Hermione reached the steps and turned around to look at Draco again. He was still working diligently on his assignment and she didn't want to bug him, but she couldn't pull her eyes away from him. "What are you working on?" Hermione asked, not able to get herself to leave._

_"Transfiguration," Draco replied without looking away from his work._

_"Oh, okay," Hermione already knew the answer but wanted to stay and talk to him._

_"I'm sure you already knew that and I'm sure you were probably done a week ago, but we're not all perfect like you," Draco jibed._

_"I'll let you finish," Hermione ignored his earlier comment._

_"I'm almost done," Draco answered still not looking up._

_"Okay," Hermione simply said and tried to get her feet to turn and walk up the stairs, but she was glued in this spot watching Draco work. _He is so cute when he is biting his lip like that. WAIT! Did I just think Draco was _cute_? I need to get out of here now_, Hermione turned to leave when Draco looked up and asked, "Did you need something else? Or were you just staring at me for the hell of it?" Draco asked with a smile on his face. A smile! Not a smirk but a real smile…maybe things were changing after all._

_"Oh, it's nothing," Hermione quickly said._

_"You sure? Because it seems like something was on your mind…or someone?" he smirked, there it was the smile must have been a fluke._

_"I was going to see if we could make a truce or something, but it's obvious you're not capable of such a thing," Hermione snapped and turned to leave._

_"Granger, wait," Draco pleaded._

_"Why should I? You're never going to change," she snapped, but froze to her spot._

_"Come sit down," Draco motioned to the spot next to him and cleared all of his work out of the way. "You're right. We need to talk if we're going to make it through this year without altercation," Draco agreed._

_Hermione's feet moved on their own accord. Before she knew it she was sitting on the couch next to Draco and the proximity started the flame with in her once again._

_After neither of them said anything for a few minutes Draco finally began, "So, how do you propose we make a truce?"_

_"Well, let's just agree to try and at least be civil towards one another. We have to get through this year sharing this dorm and it would be so much easier if we at least attempted to get along," Hermione hoped that this wasn't an impossible task._

_"I agree," Draco sighed. "The truth is I don't even know what I had against you in the first place," he admitted._

_"What about the fact that I'm a Mudblood or best friends with Harry Potter?" Hermione suggested. Those were always the reasons that he picked on her in the past._

_"No, neither of those really bother me," Draco admitted, staring off into the flames._

_"Oh, really?" Hermione asked skeptically. "Because anytime you got the chance you would point those things out."_

_"I know that and I regret it. I'm not as heartless as you might think," he sighed, not looking at her._

_"Then why did you always do it?" Hermione asked; it was hard to believe that Draco might actually have a heart somewhere inside that hard chiseled chest of his._

_"My image," Draco simply answered with his tell tale smirk._

_"Your image? Really?" Hermione laughed._

_"Yeah. That's what everyone expected out of me so I just went with it," he sighed again. He had never told anyone this before and he wasn't really sure why he was telling Hermione Granger of all people. Maybe because he knew he could trust her._

_"So you're trying to tell me that you, Draco Malfoy of all people, have a heart and a conscience?" Hermione asked skeptically, but somewhere deep inside her she knew that he was telling her the truth._

_"Yeah, I am and I really don't care if you believe me. You can believe whatever you want, but I'm telling the truth," Draco stood up._

_Hermione simply nodded, she had no clue what else to say._

_"So, this is a truce? We act civil towards each other around here and well our images outside of this room should probably stay the same. If not there would be way too many questions," Draco said as he gathered his things._

_"Yeah," Hermione whispered, Draco's presence was doing things to her that she'd never felt before._

_"Truce?" Draco asked, cocking an eyebrow and extending his hand._

_"Truce," Hermione agreed and shook his extended hand. At the simple contact of his big warm hand, shivers when down Hermione's spine._

_Draco turned and exited the dormitory, leaving Hermione standing there confused and staring at the portrait hole that he had just disappeared through._

Did we really just make a truce? Would it last? And why did I feel that way when he touched me? I must be going crazy,_ Hermione decided as she walked off to her room._

_She still couldn't understand what she was starting to feel towards Draco, but she was glad they were at least trying to put the past behind them. Things would be so much easier that way._

_Who knows, maybe people actually could change._

_Another two months passed with their truce intact. They got along with in the four walls of their dormitory, but when they were outside they kept up their normal act. It would have been too suspicious if suddenly Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy were actually getting along. Way too complicated to explain to the whole school._

_Things were going well with only a few minor fights about stupid things like Draco not picking up after himself or Hermione always being engrossed in a book. Just the normal Draco and Hermione arguments, but for the most part they got along._

_It had been a long hard day for Hermione. She had been in the library for hours working on assignments and studying for tests with Ron sitting there constantly needing her help. "Hermione? What did you get for the three reasons why Polyjuice Potion can't be used on anything but humans?" Ron asked._

_"Really Ronald?" Hermione burst getting fed up with all of his questions. "For once can you just do your own goddamn homework?" she snapped, gathering her things and heading towards the Head's Dorms._

_"What's her problem?" Hermione heard Ron ask Harry. _Was he really that dense?

_Hermione sped back to the dorm and slammed the portrait door behind her. She just needed a break from everything. "Whoa! Rough day?" Draco asked from the couch where he was sitting in only his pajama pants. The firelight was dancing off his pale chest and Hermione couldn't concentrate._

_"Yes…a very rough day," Hermione snapped out of her trance and sighed._

_"Want to talk?" Draco asked, in a very un-Draco like fashion._

_"Why are boys so clueless?" Hermione blurted._

_"I may not be the best person to ask, seeing as I am a guy," Draco smiled and put the book that was on his lap aside._

_"You're the best I can ask right now," Hermione sighed and placed her stuff at her desk before taking a seat next to Draco on the couch._

_"Potter or Weasley getting on your nerves?" Draco smirked, but not in his usual condescending way._

_"Ron expects me to basically do his homework for him," Hermione complained._

_"No one said Weasley was very bright," Draco remarked._

_"Yeah well, he is just so clueless most of the time. He just expects me to do everything for him and always be there. I just can't stand it anymore," Hermione said._

_"Just forget about him. He's just Weasley," Draco stated as if that would explain everything._

_"Aaarrgh…why are guys so difficult?" Hermione whined. At one point in time she had actually liked Ron as more than a friend, but she couldn't understand why now. Another guy was occupying her mind these days and said guy was sitting only inches away from her._

_"Not every guy is like that. Don't let Weasley ruin every guys reputation," Draco said, clearly referring to himself._

_"So you're saying you not at all like that?" Hermione asked skeptically._

_"Do you see me asking you the answers to all of the homework?" Draco asked._

_"No, you actually do your own work…surprisingly," Hermione admitted._

_"Surprisingly?" Draco asked._

_"Yes, surprisingly. I always would have thought you were one of those guys who had people you saw as your inferiors do your work while you went off and shagged anything that was breathing and feminine," Hermione pointed out. For a while she really had believed this, but recently she had realized just how wrong she was. Draco seemed to always do all of his work on his own and he wasn't constantly bringing girls back to the dorms or anything. Now that didn't mean he wasn't seeing them, but he had the decency to see them somewhere other than their private quarters._

_"Wow…you really think that little of me?" Draco feigned hurt._

_"I did," Hermione nodded._

_"I'm sorry to burst you happy little bubble Granger, but I'm not like that," Draco defended._

_"I've realized that," she admitted._

_"Well I'm glad you've come to your senses then," Draco joked and Hermione realized just how close he was to her. She could lean in a few inches and her lips would be on his. That thought stirred the butterflies that resided in her stomach._

_"Me too," Hermione whispered, almost to herself._

_"What was that?" Draco asked cocking his eyebrow._

_"Nothing," Hermione covered playing with the hem of her skirt, suddenly she was very nervous._

_"Oh really?" Draco asked, not quite believing it. "To me it sounded like you had actually just agreed with me," he teased._

_"Why would I do something like that?" Hermione started to get defensive. It was the only way to keep her mind off of those gorgeous pink lips that were mere inches from her own._

_"I don't know, maybe because you're starting to realize that most of your assumptions about me are wrong," Draco put on an award winning smiled that revealed his dazzling white teeth and sent chills through Hermione's body._

_"No, most of them are still right. Just that one was wrong," Hermione played along. _Am I really flirting with Draco Malfoy? And do I really want to kiss him?...How could that be?_ Hermione's mind was swamped with questions like these._

_"Well, then I guess there's no need to tell you that I'm starting to believe I was very wrong about you too," Draco smiled and seemed to move in closer._

_"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, trying to keep her mind clear, but that was proving to be quite difficult with this close proximity. She could feel the heat radiating off of Draco's muscular, toned body and she could smell mint and spice coming from him._

_"I mean that you've proved to be more than a know it all book worm who follows Potter's every move. You can actually stand on your own," Draco admitted._

_"And that surprises you?" Hermione questioned._

_"No, not really. It's just not what I used to think. I know that Potter couldn't have survived everything if it wasn't for you. You were the brains," Draco stated._

_"Yes, I was and I still am. After all, I am top in the class," Hermione gloated._

_"Maybe not for long," Draco taunted._

_"Oh and who is going to beat me?" Hermione questioned._

_"Me," Draco smirked._

_"Not if I can help it," Hermione smiled. She knew that she would always be top in the class what with her time management skills and diligence._

_"Oh and how are you going to do that?" Draco asked, only about an inch from her lips now._

_"I can create a distraction," Hermione's eyes glinted as she laid a hand on Draco's strong, muscular thigh. He didn't recoil like she had been expecting. He just moved closer so that their legs were touching._

_"How are you going to distract me?" Draco whispered in her ear. His breath hitting her neck and ear, sending a shiver down her spine and setting her body on fire. All she wanted right now was to kiss him._

_"Like this," Hermione smirked, a smirk that rivaled even Draco's, as she closed the gap between them and pressed her lips to his. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, maybe for Draco to push her away and ask her what the bloody hell she thought she was doing, but that didn't happen. Instead she melted into him as his lips moved against hers. The kiss started off slow, but soon became heated. Hermione felt Draco's tongue run across her bottom lip silently asking for permission to enter. She was more than happy to oblige and parted her lips granting his tongue access. He explored her mouth and she had her hands in his hair pulling her closer. Hermione had never been kissed like this before, not that she'd kissed many boys, but enough to know that this was the best kiss she'd ever had._

_They continued on kissing for several minutes, lost in the feel of each other. They had both wanted this for so long and neither of them realized it until now. This was perfect. This was what it was supposed to feel like._

_All too quickly it ended and Hermione came back to her senses. _What did I just do? Did I really just snog Draco Malfoy of all people? And why did I like it so much?_ Hermione didn't know what to say as her mind raced with questions. She was half expecting Draco to start yelling at her and asking her what she thought she was doing, but he didn't. Instead he said, "Well, if that's how you plan on distracting me I see a flaw in you plan," Draco smirked._

_"And what is that?" Hermione defended, not wanting to be proven wrong._

_"I think that is going to be as much of a distraction to you as it is to me," Draco pointed out the obvious._

_"Yes, but then it would leave us right where we are now and that still puts me in the lead," Hermione smirked._

_"Oh I see how it is," Draco laughed._

_"Yes, so I'm still first either way," Hermione gloated._

_"Has anyone ever told you you talk too much?" Draco asked as he captured her lips again. Not another word was said all night as their little distraction continued in Draco's bedroom. If this was how Hermione was going to distract Draco then it was well worth coming in second._

_The next three months went by in a flash. Hermione and Draco held a secret relationship behind their closed portrait hole, but out in the corridors of Hogwarts they pretended to still hate each other's guts. To an onlooker it would look as if nothing had changed, but to their friends things seemed slightly different. Their insults seemed to lack any meaning and the word Mudblood was no longer tossed around._

_Even their friends didn't suspect their relationship. Yes, they did notice the small changes, but just assumed that they had softened towards each other because they were living in the same quarters. No one suspected a thing._

_Hermione had never been so happy. All of the hatred she used to feel towards Draco had disappeared and turned out to be more sexual frustration than anything. There really is a thin line between love and hate._

_Hermione and Draco never discussed whether they were in a relationship as in girlfriend/boyfriend or if it was just a friends with benefits arrangement. Hermione had eventually come to the conclusion that there was an unspoken agreement to be exclusive. Soon she would find out just how wrong that assumption had been._

_It was the last week of classes before their Winter break and Hermione found herself way ahead of schedule. She had completed all of her assignments and was ready for the break to begin. Hermione found herself walking through the corridors that were decorated for the holiday and feeling very happy. Things had been great. Her grades were outstanding and her Head duties were all going well. For once she was getting along with Draco much better than anyone would have expected._

_Her Transfiguration class let out early and she decided to head back to the Head's Dorm in hope that she would catch Draco before his next class began. He had a free period at this time and it would be a perfect time to get some more alone time._

_Hermione raced back to the dormitory with a certain pep in her step. She could feel the anticipation building in the pit of her stomach as she thought about what would hopefully happen soon._

_Upon reaching the portrait hole she said the password and quickly walked into the dorm. She didn't realize what she was seeing at first, but slowly it sank in. There was a familiar pug faced girl with brown hair pressed up against a tall handsome guy with the tell tale white blonde hair. They were kissing each other fervently and the girl's hands were traveling up the guy's chest and down to his belt where she started to undo it. The guy didn't resist, but he didn't seem too thrilled either…almost as if he really didn't want to be in this situation._

_What Hermione was looking at finally dawned on her. She was watching Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy…_her_ Draco Malfoy…making out. Suddenly the anticipation in her stomach turned to shock and horror. She couldn't believe it. _Was this really happening? Was Draco actually cheating on her? The thought had never crossed her mind before now, but it was pretty obvious that he was._ She finally came to her senses and yelled, "What the bloody hell is going on here?"_

_Draco and Pansy sprang apart and they both whipped around to find where the voice had come from. Both sets of eyes landed on Hermione at the same time, but both reactions were completely different. Pansy's expression turned into a smug smirk as she spat, "That's none of your business Granger."_

_Draco's expression on the other hand dropped. His face fell and he looked almost panicked, like he didn't know what to do. "Hermione, I can explain…" he started._

_"Oh, I'd love to hear this explanation," Hermione's words dripped with sarcasm._

_"It's not what it looks like," Draco tried again, taking a few steps away from Pansy and towards Hermione._

_"Oh, it's not? You weren't just making out with Pansy Parkinson? Are you seriously going to try and convince me of that? I'm not stupid Draco," Hermione spat his name. She couldn't believe it. How did she ever let herself fall for him?_

_"That's exactly what it was," Pansy spoke up, smug smile still in place._

_"Shut up!" Draco turned on Pansy._

_"Why? Do you really care what this Mudblood thinks?" Pansy laughed maliciously._

_"Get out! Now!" Draco demanded, his voice rising and his face turning red._

_"Fine, but don't try to deny what just happened," Pansy left her parting words behind._

_Once she was gone Draco turned to Hermione and began again, "Hermione, please let me explain. It's not what it looked like. Pansy came here and threw herself at me," Draco pleaded with Hermione, a very un-Draco like thing to do._

_"Oh, so you just expect me to believe that she came here and threw herself at you and somehow your tongue just happened to accidentally slip down her throat? Really Draco, how naïve do you think I am?" Hermione spat. She wasn't going to just stand here and listen to his lies. She knew what she saw and she wasn't going to change her mind._

_"It's not like that," Draco said taking another step closer._

_"Then how is it? Because I'd love to hear what _REALLY_ happened," Hermione yelled. She still couldn't believe this was happening. She had actually started to believe that Draco had changed and that this would stay good, but obviously that wasn't true._

_"She came here saying she needed help with potions, which didn't really surprise me. I said I'd help her out, but then before I knew it she was all over me," Draco tried to explain, his voice rising._

_"Right, and I'm really supposed to believe that," Hermione yelled, growing angrier by the second. "I really thought you'd changed Draco, but clearly I was wrong. You are still a big, pompous arse who will shag anything that moves," Hermione spat._

_Draco was about to protest, but Hermione had heard enough. She was done with this. She walked up to him and slapped him across the face with all her might. Immediately a red handprint began to appear on his alabaster skin, but she didn't care. "You are such an arse and I can't believe I ever trusted you!" she spat as she headed towards the stairs._

_Draco stood there, shocked. He hadn't been expecting to get slapped. "Hermione wait!" he yelled after her, but it was too late. She had already fled up the stairs and disappeared behind the door to her room as she slammed it shut._

_After that encounter everything between Draco and Hermione turned icy. They went back to pretending the other didn't exist and it was even worse than before because this time they actually had a reason to be mad at each other. Or at least they thought they did, but things are never exactly how they seem._

Hermione shook her head, trying to clear all of those past memories away and move on. Coming back to reality and her surroundings in the library her eyes were still connected with the steely grey orbs of the guy who had starred in her reminiscing.

She looked him up and down, taking in his tousled white blonde hair, his steely grey eyes, his very pale skin, high cheekbones, and every other aspect of the man who she had fallen for. They hadn't spoken since that night when Hermione had found him with Pansy, but in some ways she wished they had. She wished she would have just forgiven him and taken him back, but she had more self-respect than that. No matter how much she wanted him.

Draco looked almost vulnerable, sitting there staring at Hermione. She could tell that even if things were back to bad between the two of them, he really had changed. He was no longer that stuck up, pure blood git that he used to be. He was different.

Hermione finally broke eye contact with Draco and turned back to her friends. Harry and Ron were still sitting there working on their assignments, clearly oblivious to what their best friend was going through. Only one person knew what that was and he was the one staring at her across the room. The one who had caused all of the pain that was now within Hermione. The one who had broken her heart.

Hermione stole a quick glance back at Draco, seeing that he hadn't moved a muscle yet. Their eyes connected once more and a sort of silent conversation took place. _"We need to talk,"_ Draco's expression said.

_"I know," _Hermione's said back.

_"Will you hear me out?" _Draco's eyes were pleading.

_"Maybe,"_ Hermione shrugged.

Draco shrugged too and stood from the table to walk to the Restricted Section of the library, leaving his friends behind. Hermione knew he wanted her to follow and the truth was she did want to follow. She gave it a few minutes so that no one would suspect anything and then she stood and said, "Guys, I have to go look for a book for my assignment," Hermione whispered.

"Okay," Harry and Ron said at the same time, not pulling their eyes from their work.

Hermione walked back to the Restricted Section where Draco had disappeared moments before. She paused for a moment, took a deep breath to collect herself and walked down the aisle to where Draco was leaning against the bookshelf. He looked amazing in his put together, but bored kind of way. She knew it was all an act, but it still made her melt inside.

She slowly approached and pretended to peruse the shelves of books while saying, "What do you want Malfoy?"

"I want this," he said stepping forward and turning Hermione around and pressing his lips against hers. For a moment, they were lost in the feel of each other wishing things hadn't changed, but they did.

Hermione came to her senses and remembered that she was supposed to be mad at him. She placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed him away. He took the hint and moved back to leaning against the bookshelf. "Sorry, I kind of lost control of myself," Draco admitted.

"That's a first; Draco Malfoy is actually apologizing for something?" Hermione asked in a sarcastic tone. She really wanted to write him off and leave him standing here, but she couldn't make herself do that.

"Well, there's a first time for everything," he whispered, look down at the ground.

Hermione took in his appearance. Everything seemed normal about him until she took in his expression; he looked very vulnerable in this moment. She had never seen Draco look so vulnerable or vulnerable at all and she hoped she never did again. His expression made her heart ache even more for him. Hermione was never one to leave someone who seemed weak and vulnerable alone. She always wanted to help and that's what she needed to do now, even if it was Draco Malfoy.

"What did you want?" Hermione whispered, deciding to hear him out.

Sighing Draco looked up into Hermione's eyes and said, "I want things back to how they used to be with us."

"So do I, but after I caught Pansy and you that is no longer possible," Hermione answered.

"I didn't kiss Pansy. She threw herself at me and I tried to push her away. That's when you came in. I wouldn't risk what I had with you on any girl, especially Pansy," Draco admitted.

Hermione took in his expression. She didn't want to believe the words that were spilling out of his mouth, but she knew they were true. She could tell by the way he was putting himself out there. Draco Malfoy never let anyone see him vulnerable and out of control, but he was letting Hermione see him like this right now and she knew every word was true. "Then why didn't you chase after me?" Hermione asked, trying to add two and two together.

"I did, but you slammed the door in my face and then avoided me after that. Eventually I just gave up. I figured if you hated me there was nothing I could do to change that," Draco answered.

"So, you let me go around for months thinking you cheated on me? You didn't even try to correct me?" Hermione loudly whispered, her anger rising.

"I tried to tell you that same day, but you wouldn't listen and I knew it was no use trying to tell you again because you'd already made up your mind about me," Draco said. Hermione knew every word was true, but didn't want to admit that she was wrong.

Hermione stood there trying to keep the tears that were starting to form in her eyes from spilling over. For once in her life she didn't have all of the answers and she didn't know what to do next. She was running over the possible choices, but couldn't think of any. Finally she admitted defeat and asked for help, "So, what do we do now?"

Draco took a few steps towards Hermione until he was standing right in front of her and then wiping her hair out of her face he leaned in and whispered, "I think we should do this now," as he pressed his lips against hers for the second time in almost as many minutes.

They continued to kiss this time and Hermione didn't push him away. This is what they both wanted and needed. They had been longing for each other's touch since that fateful night and now that they finally had it they didn't care where they were. Even if it was in the Restricted Section of the library where anyone could walk up on them.

When they finally pulled apart Draco whispered, "I love you Hermione."

Hermione's heart took flight as it raced. Did she hear him correctly? Had Draco Malfoy just said he loved her? As the words rolled off her tongue in response she knew that she meant them, "I love you too Draco.

They kissed one more time and started to head back to their respective tables. Things were back to normal and they'd never been happier. Just as Hermione was about to walk out of the aisle, Draco grabbed her arm and whispered, "Is this still our little secret?"

"Yes, it is. No one needs to know quite yet about…the story of us," Hermione smiled and kissed Draco quickly one more time before returning to sit with her friends while he went to sit with his.

She took her seat again and her chocolate brown eyes connected with the steely grey eyes of the guy who was her little secret. It was better that way, more exciting. Things were right again sitting there in the library it was their own novel to write and the title would be _The Story Of Us_.

**Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think.**


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